I have been an awful poster. Soon though, soon!
Good news though, I have interviews at my little rural hospital and the bigger university hospital in the city. The downside is the interview at the larger center is NOT at the trauma center.
I'm disappointed about that, and I'm torn between the two.
1) I know the staff at the small hospital
2) The small hospital is by a major highway so there are some interesting traumas, I dont' know about the large hospital because I haven't been there, but I'm sure they get traumas too, but more often then not they are bypassed
3) the big hospital is both a cardiac and a stroke center
4) the smaller hospital has nurses do more because there are no support staff, whereas the large hospital has RT's, PTs, med students, residents, personal support workers, etc. I don't know which I would like more.
5) I wouldn't have to commute more then 5 minutes to the large hospital, whereas the small hospital on a bad snow day could take me over an hour.
6) Small hospital is near my parents' place, so I could stop in there, visit, or stay overnight if I needed to
7) I wouldn't have to (or want to) move to an area near the highway if I worked at the big hospital
8) Eventually I'd want to work at a big hospital anyway, yet not this particular big hospital (not a trauma center) but this big hospital is affiliated with the trauma center, and apparently I can't work at both places.
9) Either way does it really matter? I want to be an NP most likely in about 5 years.
ACK! I have an interview Friday at the small hospital, and an interview Monday at the large one. Wish me luck!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Thursday, February 21, 2008
so it seems
... that I have dropped off the face of the planet. I haven't, I've been busy with a conference. I'll be back shortly and will post soon! I haven't even been able to read your lovely posts either! My reader has about 160 unread posts.. ack!
Talk to you soon!
Talk to you soon!
Monday, February 11, 2008
A first...
The other day I looked after an 87 year old male from a nursing home. He was DNR, but if he needed medical care beyond the ability of the nursing home, he was to be transferred to an acute center for treatment. I had a chance to work with him on my first night shift of two. He had come into the ER by ambulance. The nurses at the nursing home had noted that he had a lower LOA, and wasn't acting normal, so they shipped him to us.
He was fairly out of it, probably because his BP was hovering around 60/40. Also on his short list was depression and Parkinson's. We gave him a load of fluids, and his BP was still low, around 80/40. Turns out he had pneumonia as well. After numerous hours and a bunch of treatments, we sent him back home more lucid, with his son by his side.
The next evening we were working with an emergency physician who was also a coroner. Unfortunately, that same man passed away that evening, at the nursing home.
I have experienced a code, but the person was already dead by the time they arrived to the ED.
This is the first time a patient whom I dedicated a lot of my time to, and whom I had gotten to know his family, had died. I guess I should get used to it, because people die, no matter what we try to do and stop it, and in this case, I'm wondering if death would be welcomed. I'm hoping his family was with him at the final stage. Rest in Peace, Mr. X.
He was fairly out of it, probably because his BP was hovering around 60/40. Also on his short list was depression and Parkinson's. We gave him a load of fluids, and his BP was still low, around 80/40. Turns out he had pneumonia as well. After numerous hours and a bunch of treatments, we sent him back home more lucid, with his son by his side.
The next evening we were working with an emergency physician who was also a coroner. Unfortunately, that same man passed away that evening, at the nursing home.
I have experienced a code, but the person was already dead by the time they arrived to the ED.
This is the first time a patient whom I dedicated a lot of my time to, and whom I had gotten to know his family, had died. I guess I should get used to it, because people die, no matter what we try to do and stop it, and in this case, I'm wondering if death would be welcomed. I'm hoping his family was with him at the final stage. Rest in Peace, Mr. X.
Mini rant...
... this may be sac-religious for those purest RN's out there, but I have a confession to make. I have applied to medicine. A few times. All with the white letter PFO's (Please F*ck Off) saying I didn't get an interview. Fine, I can deal with that, perhaps I didn't have a 99% average, but I had 3 jobs, a heck of a lot of volunteer hours, and decent grades. I'm proud of myself for doing as well as I did. My life will not be a medical one (saves me some sleep and a heck of a lot of debt), and I will be a F'n good nurse.
Yesterday I was changing after an intramural sports game and I overheard a conversation.... "... like,I'm so excited. I got like 3 interviews for meds... so I'm, like, pretty much going to go to medicine next year. MMm i'm not sure, like, where I would want to go, I think I may go away, because, like, I need a change, but, like, I'm not sure.... "
Perhaps this person got a 4.0, perhaps this person built a hospital out of toothpicks in Rwanda.
I get mad, and I get jealous. What can I say.
Yesterday I was changing after an intramural sports game and I overheard a conversation.... "... like,I'm so excited. I got like 3 interviews for meds... so I'm, like, pretty much going to go to medicine next year. MMm i'm not sure, like, where I would want to go, I think I may go away, because, like, I need a change, but, like, I'm not sure.... "
Perhaps this person got a 4.0, perhaps this person built a hospital out of toothpicks in Rwanda.
I get mad, and I get jealous. What can I say.
Monday, February 4, 2008
To my fans...
... to the 3 of you that subscribe to my blog.. Thanks! I just found out how to determine how many are subscribing... and since it lists 4, and one of them is myself (insert sheepish grin here), I want to thank you for reading. I hope you find my posts relatively interesting! I'll try to give you more fun stories soon.
Elaine
Elaine
Worn out.
In the fall when I was on my way to completing my Masters, and I was finalizing the rest of my nursing courses, I told myself that in January/February, I'm going to have time for myself. I'll even start making dinners for my Honey, and overall start pulling my weight more around the house.
Well it's now February, and I'm still seemingly as busy as ever.
I'm one of those people that just seem to always be busy. I schedule myself out too much. For instance, I'm on a DDNN rotation, with 5 days off. I'm on day 4 of the 5, but today was the first official day off. Friday through to Sunday I taught a First responder course out of town. Tomorrow, I'll be heading to work for my former Master's supervisor to do some Research Assistant work. It's good money, but I start my next DDNN rotation on Wednesday, and I don't feel ready or rested.
I know some people get burnt out, and in the fall I definitely was... to the point I needed professional help to get over my anxiety and sleep problems. Now I'm just feeling tired. I hate this tired feeling and I am not a bitter person, but I still hate to think what affect this has on my patient care, and my learning.
I used to have 4 part-time and casual jobs on top of being in school. Now I just have these 2 casual/part time. I would love to not do them, but with the amount of debt I am in (approaching 60k because of 4 years of school that I've paid for myself) I just can't justify putting myself in any more debt because I want a few days off. Sigh.
Well it's now February, and I'm still seemingly as busy as ever.
I'm one of those people that just seem to always be busy. I schedule myself out too much. For instance, I'm on a DDNN rotation, with 5 days off. I'm on day 4 of the 5, but today was the first official day off. Friday through to Sunday I taught a First responder course out of town. Tomorrow, I'll be heading to work for my former Master's supervisor to do some Research Assistant work. It's good money, but I start my next DDNN rotation on Wednesday, and I don't feel ready or rested.
I know some people get burnt out, and in the fall I definitely was... to the point I needed professional help to get over my anxiety and sleep problems. Now I'm just feeling tired. I hate this tired feeling and I am not a bitter person, but I still hate to think what affect this has on my patient care, and my learning.
I used to have 4 part-time and casual jobs on top of being in school. Now I just have these 2 casual/part time. I would love to not do them, but with the amount of debt I am in (approaching 60k because of 4 years of school that I've paid for myself) I just can't justify putting myself in any more debt because I want a few days off. Sigh.
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